


Just A Simple Mission

by notquiteascrazy



Series: SH Bingo Fills [4]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Feels, Alternate Universe - Human, An American beta and a British author went to war and it shows, BAMF Alec Lightwood, BAMF Isabelle Lightwood, BAMF Magnus Bane, BAMF Maia Roberts, Bad Parent Asmodeus (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Bad Parent Maryse Lightwood, Canon-Typical Violence, Car Chases, Confident Alec Lightwood, Gun Violence, Jeweler Magnus Bane, Kidnapping, Lightwood Siblings, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Alec Lightwood, Salty Alec Lightwood, Spy Alec Lightwood, Strangers to Lovers, spy AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:47:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29736861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notquiteascrazy/pseuds/notquiteascrazy
Summary: It’s just a simple mission.That’s what he’d said when he’d been handed the brief.A simple mission - get to Magnus Bane before The Circle can and then keep him safe.Agent Alec Lightwood has conducted many similar missions throughout his career and he knows what to expect.Except, as he gets to know Magnus, the lines between professional and personal begin to blur.At least it’s just a simple mission, right? What can possibly go wrong?!
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood, Alec Lightwood & Maia Roberts, Magnus Bane & Isabelle Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: SH Bingo Fills [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067408
Comments: 23
Kudos: 45
Collections: SHBingo 20-21





	Just A Simple Mission

**Author's Note:**

> This is very loosely based on the film the Man from UNCLE. Some bits you may recognise if you know it, but I've changed it up enough that it should still be an enjoyable read even if you've seen the film!
> 
> A huge thank you to [Spark](https://whatanexcitingfewdaysithasbeen.tumblr.com/) and [Em](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/pseuds/thatnerdemryn) for being the most amazing betas possible. They've both been unconditionally supportive of me as this fic has taken over my life for close to 3 months now... They've reassured me through every "Oh god this sucks" panic and I'm eternally grateful for that!
> 
> This still lives as "the spy au that grew" in my head so buckle in and enjoy the ride... It turned itself into one hell of an adventure!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter was written for SH Bingo 2020-2021 from the Hunters Moon Discord Server.  
> For the "Spy AU" square

The door to the small office swings open. Alec spins in the high-backed chair, wincing slightly as his knee catches the corner of the oak desk he sits behind. The desk itself is piled high with order forms, paperwork and brochures, as well as delicate tweezers, a loupe and several other tools Alec couldn’t hope to name. Despite the abundance of items on the desk, the office is neatly organised and tidy, clearly occupied by someone with meticulous attention to detail. The order appeals to Alec, he wishes more people had an appreciation for order.

The regular occupant of the office walks backwards through the door, carrying a tray of gemstones. Upon spotting Alec, he promptly drops the tray with a gasp. Jewels skitter across the floor with a melodic tinkle.

“Who the hell are you? And how did you get into my office?” he asks, catching the door with his heel before it can close fully and glancing back into the front room of the store as if checking his escape options.

“Relax,” Alec says, reclining back in the chair and raising his hands in the air, palms forwards and fingers splayed. “I’m not here to cause trouble. Well,” he squints, tilting his head to one side, “not intentionally at least.”

The man’s eyes dart around the room, flicking from Alec to the desk drawer to the counter in the front of the store.

“Your gun won’t help you,” Alec explains, patting the desk drawer. “Nor will the panic button on the counter. I disabled that as soon as I arrived.” He’s methodical in explaining his process, he considers it due diligence to detail how the board has been set. It won’t reassure anyone, he knows that. But at the very least it will reduce the likelihood of fight or flight kicking in. It will force a more measured, considered response which will allow them time to discuss what is going to happen.

“I see,” the store owner’s expression shifts from confusion to stone-cold fury, jaw clenching tight enough to cause the veins in his neck to protrude. If Alec weren’t such a consummate professional, he’d find this shift in demeanour almost attractive. “If you wanted the stones, I assume you would have taken them by now so why don’t you save us both some time and kindly explain what you are doing in my shop?”

Alec bites back a smile, crossing his arms over his chest and appraising the man in front of him. While he can appreciate the aesthetics - the cut of his silver silk waistcoat and the way it accentuates the shoulders hidden beneath the blood-red shirt - the thing that really strikes him is how rational the response is. Past missions that included civilians had prepared him for a much worse reception. Usually people are more rattled by the sudden intrusion. He wonders what it is that could be different about this one? He’s read the file a few times over but he hadn’t expected this reaction.

“Well?” the jeweller prods.

“Yes, of course. Magnus, it is ok if I call you Magnus?” he asks, not waiting for a response before continuing. “We have word that your father has resurfaced and is working on behalf of an organisation called The Circle. We believe Valentine Morgenstern has hired him to create a means to cause destruction the likes of which this nation has not seen in decades. We also believe that you are the key to finding him.”

Magnus stares at him for a couple of seconds before responding.

“I haven’t seen my father in years, I wouldn’t know where to start.” Magnus narrows his eyes and plants his hands firmly on his hips. “I don’t know who the ‘we’ you are referring to are, nor where you get your information but you are not welcome here. Leave. Now.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that Magnus. You see, I am not the only one seeking you out. Asmodeus has been slacking as of late, according to our sources. And his associates believe that capturing you will encourage his hasty cooperation. Trust me on this one,” he leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him, “You would be better off coming with me than waiting to see what The Circle will do with you.”

“I think I’ll chance it, thank you very much. Something about running off with a nameless stranger who broke into my store doesn’t seem very wise to me,” he arches an elegant eyebrow, pinning Alec under his stare.

“The name’s Lightwood, Alec Lightwood.” Alec acquiesces, offering a hand across the desk. He’s unsurprised when Magnus refuses to take it. Sighing, he pushes himself up from his seated position, standing tall and squaring his shoulders, “Now, that the formalities are out the way, we really should be going.”

At that moment, his earpiece crackles to life, Maia’s voice just about audible through the interference, “ _You’re out of time Alec._ ” He taps at the earpiece, trying and succeeding at clearing the static, “ _Four operatives from The Circle approaching from the north, I believe another two from the south. You have, at best, three minutes to get out of there. Even then, they’re going to spot you._ ”

“Great,” he murmurs, before smiling grimly at Magnus, “You’re out of time I’m afraid. We’re leaving.”

He grabs the slightly shorter man by the upper arm, gripping firmly. Despite the overwhelming urgency of the situation, there’s a small part of him that is pleased to realise Magnus is just as muscular as his earlier observations had suggested. This is obviously only a professional observation - Magnus being in shape may come in handy further down the line. Obviously.

Magnus continues to struggle, only pausing when Alec reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulls out a small pistol.

“Relax, it’s not for you.” Alec rolls his eyes as he says this but is thankful that there’s no further drama or fighting. He maneuvers them over to the storefront, where the shutters have already been lowered over the windows for the evening, leaving the glass door the only exposed access point. Glancing up and down the street, he takes in every element of the area - the buildings, the store fronts, the access points and the passers-by. There’s not a lot for him to work with here but it could be worse he guesses. There are still options that might not require them to fight their way out. “How long have we got Maia?”

_“Still two and a half minutes by my reckoning, but I’d get a move on.”_

“OK,” he turns to Magnus and, speaking quickly, explains, “here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to exit the store, quickly but calmly. You’re going to lock up as if everything is normal. Again, emphasis on quick but calm. Once the store is locked, we’re going to turn right and head up the street, then immediately take the alley on the right.” Alec keeps his voice low and even, reassuring his companion.

Magnus merely nods, hastily grabbing his jacket from the coat stand just behind the counter and shrugging it on. His keys, attached to a belt loop by a gold chain, jangle as he pulls them from his pocket.

“Remember, act normal,” Alec reminds him. Leaning against the door frame, he peers up and down the street one last time before pulling the door open and ushering Magnus out.

Magnus takes a deep breath, hands shaking as he fumbles to grab the fob to set the store alarm system.

“Breathe, Magnus.”

“Easy for you to say,” Magnus grits out, jaw clenched tightly.

“It’s all going to be absolutely fine,” Alec rests a hand against the jeweller’s shoulder. Exaggerating his own inhalation as he repeats, “Breathe.”

_“Two minutes, Alec.”_

“Plenty of time,” he responds. At this point he’s unsure if he’s reassuring Maia, Magnus, or himself. Quite possibly, all three.

Magnus finally pulls the door snug in its frame, the lock clicking as he turns the key and steps back into the street. The light clink of metal as his hands continue to tremble is the only outward indicator that any of this is affecting him. He turns and strides purposefully up the street, exactly as Alec has instructed before. At the last minute he breaks right down a narrow alley.

“It’s… It’s a dead-end?” Magnus wheels around to confront Alec. His eyes are wide and voice pitched an octave higher. Brick walls loom over them on three sides, garbage bags piled high against the walls and a stray cat paws through someone’s discarded takeout container.

“To an outside observer, yes.” Alec doesn’t waste any time elaborating further and instead takes off at a run towards the end of the alley, building momentum. His eyes flick up, gauging his target and calculating his timing. Just as it appears he’s going to hit the wall he plants his foot and launches himself into the air, jumping up to catch the ladder hanging from the fire escape overhead. He pulls himself up the rungs of the ladder, shoulder muscles flexing under the sudden exertion, until he is able to swing himself onto the metal walkway overhead. He uses his vantage point to once more scan the area, the entrance to the alley still remains clear. Pushing down on the ladder with all his strength, the metal squeals against its supports in protest before finally giving and allowing him to lower the ladder. “So much for fire safety,” he mutters to himself, gesturing over to Magnus to climb the rungs. “Quick, get up here.”

As Magnus pulls himself onto the platform alongside Alec, they hear footsteps approaching at the mouth of the alley, loud and aggressive in the otherwise quiet. An unintelligible shout tells them they’ve been spotted. Alec resists the temptation to swear out loud at the added complication. It’s unlikely to be anything he can’t deal with. He’d just rather not have to deal.

“Carry on, up there.” Alec points at the ladder leading up to the next level of the fire escape. “Go, all the way to the roof. I’ll catch up to you.”

He barely spares Magnus a glance, only watching him long enough to ensure his orders are being followed, before crouching down to pull the ladder back out of reach of the alley. It won’t stop the Circle operatives by any stretch, but hopefully it will slow them down enough to allow Magnus and Alec to get to safety at least.

“Maia, is Raj in position?”

“ _Affirmative.”_

“And he’s actually awake this time?” Alec clarifies, scanning the alley and counting only four Circle agents, all dressed in black combat trousers, black shirts and sturdy black boots. ‘ _Do these people even care about blending in?’_ he thinks to himself, straightening the hem of his navy blue Harrington jacket.

A gunshot echoes through the alleyway just a fraction of a second before the bullet collides with the metal framework over his left shoulder with an alarming ring. Flinching slightly, Alec immediately pulls out his own pistol, raising it and firing off three shots in quick succession. He doesn’t have to think. Years of training and experience in the field takes over. The response is completely instinctive, honed and effective. Each shot finds its target easily causing all but one of the Circle agents to fall to the ground. Alec takes a couple of steps towards the ladder he had ushered Magnus up, keeping his pistol raised, waiting for a clear line of sight on their remaining pursuer.

 _“Alec, police incoming. You gotta get out of there.”_ Maia’s voice is calm and clear through the earpiece, as always she is completely unwavering in her belief that their team will pull this off.

“On it,” he confirms taking one final look around the alley before holstering his gun and moving swiftly up the fire escape in pursuit of Magnus.

He makes it up five further levels of the fire escape before he hears the telltale screech of metal that lets him know the Circle operative is following him. “Weakling,” he mutters, hurrying along the walkway, steps soft but sure. He makes eye contact with a fluffy white cat stretching lazily on a window ledge inside one of the apartments he passes and just barely resists the temptation to glare at it.

He reaches the roof to find Magnus wrestling with a sturdy metal door that is clearly bolted shut from inside the apartment building. There’s a manic look about him, similar to that of a trapped animal that’s ready to bolt. It’s an electricity crackling from him like a livewire, ready to snap out at anyone who gets too close.

“Not that way, over here.” Alec calls, gesturing for Magnus to follow him over to the far corner of the roof. “Maia, give Raj the go ahead. Magnus, I’d duck if I were you.”

The two men crouch low, taking shelter behind the neat red brickwork surrounding the rooftop, Magnus shoots him a questioning look in the dim light of the early evening which Alec ignores in favor of pulling his belt from his trousers. There’s a time for reassurance and that time is not now. A quiet whistling noise reaches their ears, shortly followed by the scrape of metal on stone. Alec gives a pleased nod to no-one in particular as the grapple hooks firmly to the wall.

Standing, Alec loops his belt round the sturdy metal cable that is now stretched taut from the roof edge to the street below, using the custom-designed buckle Maia had made for him to attach it securely. Roughly pulling Magnus tight to his side, he reaches his other arm through the dangling loop formed by the leather of the belt. “Hold tight,” he instructs, registering the firm grip of hands fisting into his jacket at his waist. He pulls Magnus up onto the stone ledge and jumps from the edge.

The breath leaves his lungs in a rush. No matter how many times he does this kind of thing the icy thrill never wears off, especially when there’s a gun being fired in his direction. He can manage his adrenaline, he can manage the fight or flight instincts as they flood his body, lighting his nerve endings on fire. It simmers beneath the surface every time but he pushes it down in favour of focussing on the here and now. Emotions aren’t important right now. Instead what is important is the movement, the actions, the other players in this grim game. The streets of Brooklyn rush by beneath him, busy with end of workday traffic but no-one notices the two men seemingly flying through the sky. They never do. People are surprisingly unobservant.

Raj’s van quickly looms into view, the rear doors flung wide open to allow Magnus and Alec entrance. The cable they travel down is attached to a heavy metal machine bolted to the van floor. Without sparing a glance to the gunman on the rooftop, Alec flexes his wrist and expertly maneuvers the belt buckle to slow their descent. Sparks fly as the friction between buckle and wire increases, a simple but genius application of physics which has Alec considering just how underappreciated Maia is by many of his colleagues. Particularly his mother. Alec pulls Magnus in closer to him, hoisting him up almost effortlessly to ensure his feet won’t hit the van and braces himself for landing, his knees bent in preparation.

He stumbles slightly as his feet hit the van but he would swear until his dying day the cause was the sudden jerk in the wire behind him, a telltale sign that the person following them has almost caught up.

Alec sighs and releases his grip on the belt loop, looking down to inspect the deep red grooves the pressure of the leather had imprinted on his hands. If only the gunman hadn’t been so foolish as to follow them, this is going to be murder to cover up, almost literally. Without sparing a backwards glance, he steps away from Magnus. The loss of warmth is immediate. He already misses the slightly spicy smell of the cologne the jeweller wears. It’s been replaced instead with the stale air of the van combined with the traffic fumes that permeate the city. He digs his elbow into the button on the side of the large winch, grimacing as the quick-release activates and the excess cabling unspools itself, whirring as the rotation increases in speed. A startled yell and distant thud are all the evidence he needs that he has been successful in disposing of their pursuer.

“Let’s get out of here,” he instructs, pulling the doors to the rear of the van shut as Raj hits the accelerator and eases them out into the steady flow of traffic.

Collapsing onto the floor of the van and leaning back against the cool metal walls, he appraises Magnus once more. Pulling a switchblade out from his pocket, he picks underneath his thumbnail with the sharp tip and considers how calm the other man seems to be despite the unusual turn his evening has taken. The earlier static fear seems to have dissipated. He’s reverted back to the cool anger he had displayed when first confronted with Alec.

Physically he looks no different either - aside from the windswept hair. Previously it had been styled up tall in a faux-hawk but now it sits tousled over Magnus’ forehead, the red tips sweeping across his eyes. Otherwise, he looks completely unscathed. His stylish three-piece suit is still impeccable, not a single crease visible, and the kohl neatly lining his eyes hasn’t smudged at all - even Izzy would be impressed. His handsome face is impassive as he surveys the interior of the vehicle. Aside from the grapple-launcher (another one of Maia’s incredible designs), there isn’t much to see. It’s just a run of the mill, nondescript van designed to blend into New York traffic seamlessly. 

“So are you at least going to tell me where you’re taking me?” Magnus asks, sliding down the wall of the van to sit opposite Alec and drawing his knees up to his chest. The toes of his shiny red leather boots brush against Alec’s scuffed and worn combat boots.

“We have a safehouse in Maryland, we’ll be regrouping there before moving on to phase two of the plan,” Alec explains, inspecting his nails further and continuing to run the knife tip under any that catch his eye as being remotely less than perfect. It’s an old habit, one that’s hard to break.

“Phase two?” Magnus asks. “Wait, we’re going to the safehouse now? Like, now-now?”

Alec looks up at the hint of panic colouring his tone, “Yes, now-now. In case you hadn’t noticed, you are being chased by some very determined people and we cannot let them take you.”

“But I need to pack. I need clothes, and toiletries, and shoes. I can’t be on the run in these boots. They’re Alexander McQueen.”

Alec blinks in confusion. He’s not sure why wearing another man’s boots is an issue. As long as they fit well enough, and they certainly hadn’t seemed to hamper Magnus’ movements from what he’d seen so far this evening.

“And what about my cat? Who will feed my cat?!”

“Do you have a friend you can call?” Alec asks calmly. He can understand Magnus’ sudden panic, even if some of the issues he’s focusing on make very little sense to him. Most people aren’t adept at sudden upheavals and the concept of leaving town in a hurry. Most people don’t share his lifestyle.

“I guess Catarina could probably do it,” Magnus’ shoulders slump. He’s clearly realising that this is an argument there is no way out of.

“Great, do it. And make it quick. They’ll be tracking your cell phone by now.”

Magnus’ eyebrows knit together, but he still reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket for his cell. His friend answers quickly for which Alec is grateful. He still makes a show of staring pointedly at Magnus, then his wrist, trying to convey the need for haste.

Magnus nods before turning his face away from him, a pointless attempt at privacy in the confined space of the van. He speaks quickly. “Hi Cat, I don’t have a lot of time. I need to leave town for a couple of days and was wondering-” … “Yes, yes everything is fine. I just need to deal with some business out of town. Look, can you look after Chairman Meow for me, please?” … “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” … “I love you too.”

As soon as he hangs up the phone, Alec is ready, looming over him and snatching the phone from his hand. He drops it on the floor before crushing it beneath the heel of his boot. He cracks open one of the rear doors of the van, dropping the phone out and closing it again.

“Hey,” Magnus’ voice breaks slightly but the indignance is evident as he struggles to his feet just as the van sharply turns a corner. Alec’s not sure what he’s hoping to achieve - his phone is already lost. Either way, the movement of the van has unbalanced Magnus, causing him to sit back down again with a huff.

“We’ll get you a new one when we can. An untraceable line preferably. Though you still won’t be able to contact your friends - not for now at least.” Alec tries to keep his expression neutral, hoping to defuse the situation and appear sympathetic. Judging by the thin line of Magnus’ mouth, he’s not successful. It’s not really surprising to him. Izzy always tells him that he lacks people skills. This is the first time he’s really found himself wishing he’d listened to her whenever she’s attempted to force him into being more personable.

Sighing, he sinks to the floor again and leans back. Stretching his legs out in front of him, he closes his eyes and suggests, “Get yourself comfy, it’s a couple of hours drive to the safehouse.”

~~~

He’s not sure how much time has passed when the silence is broken by Raj’s uncertain voice coming from the front of the van. “Err, boss, I think we have a problem.”

Alec immediately sits up, alert and ready to spring into action.

“What’s going on?” he asks. Opposite him, Magnus is staring directly at him, face unreadable, as he spins one of the many rings adorning his fingers around. A nervous tic perhaps? Or a replacement for another vice?

“We’ve picked up a tail. I didn’t want to bother you until I was sure, but I’ve done due diligence and I’m certain that they’re following us.”

Alec leans over the passenger side headrest, quickly getting his bearings. They are still on the outskirts of the city, it’s a suburb that he recognises but not one that he knows well. Closing his eyes, he tries to picture the area and create a mental outline of the streets and buildings nearby. As the streets map out in front of him, springing up in his imagination like computer renderings, a plan starts to form.

“Maia?”

 _“I’m here,”_ she confirms.

“Am I right in thinking there’s a parking garage a couple of blocks ahead? Do you have access to their surveillance cameras?”

“ _Yes, and yes. What do you need?”_

“Can you do a scan and let me know what’s available in the way of vehicles? Ideally something relatively unassuming. An SUV or a sedan, darker colours preferable.”

_“On it.”_

The line is silent for a few moments as Maia does her thing and Raj continues to navigate his way through the dark streets. Behind him, he can hear Magnus’ breathing. He’s unsure if it’s heavier than normal and that’s why he can hear it? Or if it’s just that he’s attuned himself so quickly to Magnus. He’s tempted to offer some reassurance or perhaps include the man in the conversation. Shaking his head, he ignores that thought - he needs to focus on getting them all out of here safely.

_“Fourth level, against the western wall. Black SUV, I’ve looked up the owner and they’re out of town for the next few days - shouldn’t be noticed missing any time soon.”_

“Perfect. Thanks, Maia.” Alec allows himself a small smile, as always she’s gone above and beyond to deliver. This plan might actually come together. “OK Raj, you’re up. I’m going to need you to start taking some decoy turns. You know the drill, as many circles as you can manage. If you can lose them, excellent - if not I want them as frustrated as we can get them and as much of a headstart as you can build up.”

Alec wraps his arm around the headrest of the passenger seat to steady himself as Raj takes the next turning without any warning.

“Don’t worry, Magnus. We’ve got them right where we want them,” he cricks his neck, revelling in the satisfying easing of tension. His breathing steady and his mind clear, he focuses only on preparations for what comes next. Taking a mental inventory, he pats his pocket where his switchblade rests, he also has a knife in a holster strapped to his lower leg. He checks his pistol, reloading and shoving an extra clip into his pocket.

“I don’t think I can lose them, traffic’s too light,” Raj looks sideways at him, keeping half his focus on the road, grimacing slightly.

Alec nods once, “Make your way to the parking garage, get as much distance between us and them as you can. Magnus be ready to get out quickly,” he adds the last instruction over his shoulder before wriggling himself between the seats and into the front of the van with some difficulty.

“When we get to the barrier, switch with me,” he tells Raj. The younger man nods, unclipping his seatbelt in preparation. “I’ll drop you both by the SUV, stay out of sight until I get back or Maia gives the all clear - then get out of there.”

“What will happen to you in that case?” the proximity of Magnus’ voice, right by his ear makes him jump. His handsome face wedges between the seats, peering through the windshield.

“Doesn’t matter. My job is to get you to safety, by any means necessary.” Alec’s response is cold and instantaneous. 

“Ready, boss?” Raj asks, turning abruptly into the entry point of the parking garage with a squeal of rubber on tarmac.

With almost choreographed grace, Raj pulls himself up to the dash and slides over towards the passenger seat, allowing Alec to pass behind him and take the wheel. As soon as the barrier to the garage has lifted far enough for them to pass beneath, Alec hits the accelerator. Getting his bearings in the gloom of the concrete structure, he follows the arrows and ramps to the fourth level. Once there, the vehicle Maia has picked out is easily spotted as the only car on this level of the garage. It’s dark paint and tinted rear windows could easily be mistaken for that of a secret services vehicle. Alec snorts to himself, ‘ _may as well go all in for the classic spy look.’_

“Go,” he instructs, eyes focussed on the rear view mirror as Raj and Magnus scramble from the vehicle. They tuck themselves between the bumper of the SUV and the wall, crouching low into the shadows as Alec moves off once more, continuing slower now up to the top floor of the parking structure.

“ _Your diversion worked Alec, they’ve just gone up the ramp for the sixth level - they’re on your tail. Looks like three of them in total.”_

“Three against one? Nothing I can’t handle.” He swings the van into a parking bay immediately across from the up ramp on the eighth level and waits. A few moments pass before the unmistakable glow of approaching headlights appears rapidly in the rearview mirror. Bracing himself against the steering wheel, he knocks the van into reverse and slams his foot down on the accelerator, urging the van backwards as quickly as he can. The van collides with the bumper of his pursuers car with a satisfying crunch of metal.

“Shit,” Alec swears to himself as the airbag explodes against his face. No one ever warns you that as well as saving your life, airbags knock all the air from your lungs. He recovers himself quickly and steps out the van, flattening his body against the side as he pulls out his pistol and clicks off the safety.

The crappy, flickering lighting of the parking garage provides him with the perfect cover as he edges round the back of the van. Steam issues from under the hood of the now wrecked car. The rear door opens and a man dressed head to toe in black stumbles out, clutching at his nose from which blood is pouring. Alec puts him out of his misery with a quick shot to the chest, before dropping into a crouch and trying to pinpoint the remaining two operatives. The shadows which are so helpful to him are also aiding his foes. It’s always the way - nothing can ever fully be on his side. He takes a steadying breath, calming his thoughts and focussing his senses. Over the hiss from the now defunct engine, he can hear something, not quite defined steps, but definitely movement. He can’t pinpoint the location, however.

The driver’s side door of the car is still closed and a figure appears to be slumped against the deployed airbag causing it to dip slightly in its semi-deflated state. The passenger side door on the other hand is thrown wide open and the occupant is nowhere to be seen - clearly this is who Alec hears moving around.

He peers underneath the van hoping to see the assailant’s feet and give himself some understanding of their position only to be knocked on the back of the head by something solid. Collapsing to the concrete floor with a groan, Alec shuts out the immediate ache that pounds through his skull and rolls over. He attempts to push himself to his feet, eyes watering and head swimming. The man above him glares down at him and forces him back to the ground with a swift stomp to his chest.

While he can’t be entirely sure, the crunching feeling in his chest would have him putting good money on the weight of his attacker having broken at least one of his ribs. The searing pain as he sucks in a breath only reinforces this concern.

The man kicks at his hand next. Alec’s nerves spasm at the impact, releasing his grip on the pistol and sending it careening across the parking garage. It skids to a stop about 20 feet away. Alec’s breathing is further constricted as the Circle operative kneels down, crushing Alec’s windpipe under his knee.

“Where’s Bane?” he demands, voice surprisingly soft considering the malice in his eyes.

“In the back of the van,” Alec wheezes out, pushing against his captor to free himself. Despite the man’s otherwise scrawny appearance, the lack of oxygen and the lack of leverage put Alec at a serious disadvantage.

“Why should I believe you?” The man presses his gun against Alec’s temple, focussing his attention on Alec’s face as he waits for a response. This is a mistake on his part.

Ignoring the cool press of metal against his skin, Alec shifts under his attacker, moving simultaneously to reach up and twist at the hand containing the gun, nearly snapping the wrist as he wrenches the barrel away from his head and towards the ceiling. Meanwhile he brings his knee up to collide against his captor’s lower back with as much force as he can manage.

His captor falls forward, limp for just long enough for Alec to force himself from underneath him and onto his knees. He plants one foot firmly on the ground for stability and grabs for his captor’s gun. The other man recovers quickly though, grabbing for Alec’s wrist and twisting his arm painfully behind his body. Alec reaches his other arm across his body. Using any momentum he can muster, he lands a blow to his kidneys. The move wrenches his shoulder awkwardly causing him to grunt.

They wrestle with one another, neither really gaining the upper hand. Alec finds himself still fighting for air. His windpipe feels like it has been crushed in on itself, every breath feeling like it’s closing it further. His opponent may lack in strength, brawn and skill compared to Alec but this is a fight more evenly matched than it should be.

They separate by mutual consent. Stepping back and circling each other, breathing ragged and loud. Alec scans the area, somewhere in the tussle he’s managed to lose his switchblade. He catches a glimmer of it from underneath the van. Both guns lay abandoned, too far away to reach. He still has the knife at his ankle, but he doesn’t trust his aching body right now. Reaching for that would leave him open to his opponent. And anyway, they’re both currently unarmed. He wipes the sweat from his brow, and balls his hands into fists, tensing for the next move.

His opponent gets there first. Moving lightning quick, he launches himself through the empty space between them with a growl. He knocks Alec off balance, momentum outweighing mass. Grabbing a handful of hair, he slams the side of Alec’s head into the concrete with a sickening crunch. Alec’s nerve endings are alight instantly. Burning pain peppers across his face where the gritty texture rubs away the skin. Gripping Alec’s hair tight, his attacker lands blow after blow to Alec’s face. Somewhere around the third or fourth punch, Alec begins to lose feeling. The punches dulling to a background sensation as the muscles in his face slacken. His surroundings swim. The sharp lines of the concrete blurring.

A gunshot rings out through the car park. Without the constant flurry of hits to his face, Alec’s senses begin to return. He grimaces at the sticky sensation of blood on his face. The metallic scent fills his nose. The Circle operative rolls off him, allowing him to get his bearings. Heavy breathing tells him his opponent is merely incapacitated but from the way he grips at his shoulder, face twisted in agony, Alec is fairly confident that he can ignore him. At least, for the time being.

He sits up, flexing each limb independently and cracking his neck. As far as he can tell, there’s no major damage. Though, he’ll be the first to admit the definition of ‘major’ can be quite subjective. Especially in his line of work. Scanning through the various aches and pains, he takes quick stock. He’s still concerned he’s broken a rib. Maybe fractured his cheek bone too? He pushes at it experimentally, grimacing at the shooting pain lancing through his face.

The sound of metal on concrete shatters him from his self-diagnosis. At the top of the ramp, Magnus stands eyes clouded and face slack, his shoulders slumped forwards. A gun rests on the concrete by his foot.

“Magnus?” Alec pushes himself to his feet, wincing as his body protests. “Where’s Raj?”

“He’s fine. I think.” The ‘I think’ is almost an afterthought. Magnus’ voice is distant as he stares down at his shaking hands. His eyes widen as he looks over at the Circle operative who has seemingly lost consciousness. Or died. Alec isn’t really of a mind to care either way at this point. “I… I shot him?” His voice shakes, “I actually shot him?”

“Magnus,” Alec hurries over and grasps him by the shoulders. He positions his body forcibly between Magnus and the man bleeding out on the ground to block his line of sight. “Hey, Magnus. You did what you had to do. I know it doesn’t feel good, but it’s better this way. I promise. Now, why don’t you take a deep breath and tell me exactly what happened.”

Magnus looks up, finally making eye contact with Alec. Despite the discomfort apparent on his face, Alec can’t help but be momentarily overwhelmed by the swirling golden irises.

Magnus takes a deep, shuddering breath and explains, “Raj got us into the SUV, we were waiting for you to return when Maia told him she’d lost contact with you. He freaked out and insisted we had to leave then and there,” Magnus closes his eyes and inhales deeply, his nostrils flaring. “I told him that we needed to come find you first. He said that ‘ _it wasn’t protocol’_ and that his job was to just get me out of there. And, well… I don’t know why I did it… I just panicked.”

“Maia lost contact with me?!” Alec lifts his hand to his ear, pulling out a tangled crush of plastic and wiring. He raises an eyebrow in confusion at the destroyed earpiece in his hand, “Oh. That explains that. So, what did you do to Raj?”

“I may have slammed his face into the dashboard of the car,” Magnus explains sheepishly. “He’s unconscious but he should be fine. I think?”

“And then you stole his gun and ran up here to play knight in shining armour?” Alec grins, piecing together the rest of the events and trying to break the tension that exudes from Magnus in waves.

“Something like that,” Magnus mumbles.

“Right, we need to get out of here.” Alec’s voice deepens once more, his training kicking in as he runs through what needs to be done now. He makes quick work of grabbing the various weapons strewn about the place. He can feel the bruises blooming under his skin. The aches won’t truly set in until tomorrow but he can already feel the early signs of fatigue warring with his need to keep moving. He takes care to hide his discomfort from Magnus, knowing that the last thing he needs right now is a sign that Alec can’t protect him. He’s doing alright, he thinks. He only winces slightly as he lies on his stomach to retrieve the switchblade from under the van.

“I’d look away if I were you,” he advises Magnus as he crouches by the injured assailant. Glancing up to check Magnus has turned away, he takes a steadying breath. Quickly and efficiently, he slits the man’s throat, ending his misery. “Pulvis et umbra sumus,” he murmurs, pressing his hand to his heart and bowing his head for a moment.

He never enjoys ending another human being’s life, it’s something that he carries with him always. A deep shame that echoes in the pit of his stomach and haunts him late into the nights. Sometimes he fools himself into thinking he’s ok with it but inevitably, he wakes in a cold sweat again with the truth of his actions echoing in his mind. But he also knows for all the lives he takes, he saves many more. That doesn’t excuse the violence and horror he is responsible for, but it does go some way to helping him stay on task.

He gives one last glance around the area to check if he’s missed anything important. He's never too worried about the mess, Maia’s team are experts at keeping things undercover. They’ve always ensured Alec’s fingerprints never ended up in a federal database or anything as inconvenient as that. But his weapons, those he needs.

Ushering Magnus back down the ramp towards the SUV on the fourth floor, he presses a finger to his lips to gesture for silence, listening carefully for any indication that there is more trouble ahead. He'd rather avoid another fight in the condition his body is currently in.

They make it back to the vehicle without further incident. Alec can’t help the slight twitch of a smile when he opens the driver’s side door and finds Raj slumped forward against the wheel, passed out cold with a lump forming on his head. They’ll need to have a difficult conversation once he wakes up. This isn’t the first time Raj’s inattention has led to breaches of protocol mid-mission but it damn well had to be the last. At least on this occasion it had worked out for the best. Raj’s bruised head (and probably ego) had likely saved Alec from far worse injury.

“Grab that door will you?” He indicates with his head towards the rear of the SUV, reaching into the car to get his arms around Raj. With a grunt, he heaves him out from the driver’s seat. Raj’s limp arm falls into Alec’s side causing him to hiss at the contact. Biting back a multitude of swear words, he shoves Raj unceremoniously onto the back seat, tucking his legs in before slamming the door. He could take more care for his colleague he guesses, but care feels like effort right now. And if Raj wants to complain about a little bump to the head later… Well, Alec won’t be offering any sympathy.

He slots himself into the driver’s seat and adjusts the rear view mirror until he can see himself. Inspecting his reflection, he uses the cuff of his jacket to dab at the worst of the cuts on his face - the one right above the curve of his brow, threatening to drip blood into his eye. There’s not much he can do right now about any of his other injuries though. Once they reach the safehouse, there will be a kit there for getting cleaned up. As well as a hot shower and a change of clothes. Alec almost groans in excitement before remembering, they’re still several hours from safety.

Leaning below the dash he tugs out the wires and makes quick work of hotwiring the vehicle. Sometimes, there’s a fine line between his role and that of a common criminal. He tries not to focus on that too much though. He checks if Magnus has situated himself in the passenger seat and both men fasten their seat belts before he reverses out the bay and drives carefully out the parking garage. His instinct is to immediately put his foot down, to put as much space between him and any potential pursuers as possible, but he also knows doing so is the fastest way to alert suspicion. Instead, he calmly turns out onto the street, keeping the speedometer hovering 2 mph below the limit.

Magnus stares morosely out the window as the houses flash by them. Alec for the most part keeps his focus on taking them to their destination, eyes flitting from the road ahead of him to the rearview mirror, keeping a careful watch for anything out of the ordinary. Occasionally he allows himself to break that pattern and glance to the right. Taking in Magnus’ appearance - inspecting the delicate curve of his cheekbones, the sharp lines of his jaw accentuated by his goatee, the way his hair dips into a widow’s peak beneath the now dishevelled faux hawk. 

Alec pulls onto the interstate, merging into the endless flow of vehicles. The dark SUV easily gets lost amongst the traffic. He lets out a deep sigh, some of the tension leaving his body finally. Magnus glances over at Alec, his gaze heavy in the shadows of the vehicle, lit now only by the headlights of the cars around them. Alec meets his eyes as he opens his mouth to speak, before closing it and returning to his silent vigil, staring out into the night.

“How are you holding up?” Alec asks finally, breaking the silence that sits heavy around them.

“Fine,” Magnus’ tone is bitter, the word squeezing out from behind clenched teeth. Alec turns to him, momentarily ignoring the road to give Magnus a piercing stare. The kind of look he usually reserves for his mother when she is clearly hiding things from him. Magnus finally looks back at him, shrinking in on himself slightly and wrapping his arms tight across his chest.

“Not fine,” he sighs. “I killed a man. How do you think I’m doing?”

“Technically, you wounded a man. Potentially saved my life in fact. I, on the other hand, killed him,” Alec explains flatly.

Magnus offers him a small smile, one that doesn’t reach his eyes at all. Voice weak, almost inaudible over the sounds of tyres rumbling on concrete and the growl of the engine, he concedes, “OK, you killed him. But I still held that gun in my hand and aimed it intending to kill. I don’t know why I did that.” Shaking his head he stares down at his hands, now twisting together in his lap, fingers writhing and tugging at one another.

“I know it feels all consuming right now, but it does get…”

“Don’t you dare tell me that it gets easier. You dragged me from my place of work, practically kidnapped me and now I’m on the run, bidden to your every instruction. You do not have the right to tell me how to feel on top of all that.” Magnus’ voice is still quiet, but his tone is no longer weak. In fact, it cuts like a knife through the cool air inside the car. It pierces Alec to the very core.

“I wasn’t going to say easier,” Alec whispers, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. He clenches his jaw tight and stares at the tail lights of the sedan in front of them, “It never gets easier. But it does get more manageable. You learn to separate it out, put it in a box and carry on with your day to day, knowing that you can deal with it later.”

“Really?”

“Sort of? I don’t know,” Alec shrugs, the small movement pulling at his aching ribs. “That’s what’s supposed to happen. But it sneaks up on you sometimes.” He pauses there, silently adding the bits that he can’t admit out loud. ‘ _Sometimes those feelings leak out the box and leave you wondering if it’s worth it? Sometimes you wake up at 3 a.m. wondering if you’re really doing the right thing, really working for the good guys?’_ He can’t admit that to Magnus though, he can’t let Magnus know he has his doubts. Magnus needs to believe that Alec is one of the good guys. So Alec needs to believe that too.

They lapse into silence. At some point Magnus reaches out to turn the radio on but Alec catches his wrist and explains apologetically ‘ _I can’t have distractions right now’._ And so they sit in silence, eating up the miles.

“Do you know how many?” Magnus’ voice startles Alec. He flicks the indicator and takes the off-ramp. Checking his mirrors obsessively for anyone who might also choose this moment to leave the interstate. Satisfied that they’re alone, he glances over at Magnus and thinks about the question for a moment.

“How many what?”

“How many lives you’ve taken?” Magnus asks, voice flat and eyes hollow.

“42, including today.” Alec answers without missing a beat.

Izzy calls it macabre that he keeps count, says that it will haunt him and eat him up inside if he carries on. Jace, meanwhile, berates him for how low the figure is. He says that Alec focuses too much on getting everyone out alive, even the bad guys, and one day it’s going to get him killed. Alec does it anyway, because it gives him a sense of control, it makes him feel like he can keep the bad ‘ _stuff’_ in the box. He has long since convinced himself that knowing exactly what’s in there means he’s less likely to peek inside and let it all spill out again.

“Right.”

They fall silent once more, winding through a dimly lit industrial area. Warehouses and factories loom tall around them interspersed with open spaces sectioned off with chain link fences. It’s the sort of area that always leaves Alec feeling antsy - the classic body-dump location from those cop shows that Jace loves so much. Today that feeling is intensified. Maybe it’s the residual adrenaline. Maybe it’s something more. But his skin crawls and the urge to run is strong. He checks the mirrors but there’s no vehicles in sight. Still, he remains on edge and vigilant.

As they transition into a more residential area, streets lined with tall townhouses and corner plots converted into children’s play parks Alec’s nervousness only increases. The creeping sensation that something isn’t right shivers like ice down his spine. His fingers twitch against the wheel as once more his eyes flick to the rearview mirror. There’s been a car behind him the last few turns he’s taken. They’re far enough back that it’s hard to notice but he’s pretty sure that his instincts are right and they’ve picked up a tail. He glances over at Magnus who has his eyes closed and is breathing evenly and decides against disturbing him. He’s dealt with plenty of tails on other missions, it’s not like he needs the second pair of eyes.

First step, confirm they’re being followed. He gives himself a mental shakedown, boxing up the skittish fear to address later. He repositions his hands on the steering wheel and focuses on the warm leather against his palm instead. At the next intersection he takes a left turning, keeping his driving calm and measured. To any casual observer he would be taking the exact route he had planned and not a diversion intended to catch out anyone untoward.

At the end of the block he takes the next left turning onto an identical street with the same brownstone houses with neat curtains and potted plants on their doorsteps. Alec wonders what it must be like to live in a neighbourhood like this. To have a normal life. Where the only stress is getting the kids dressed for school on time. Or wondering whether your boss is going to finally give you that promotion you’ve worked towards. He sometimes wonders how it would feel to wear a suit every day. Would the tie feel suffocating to him? Would he waste away positioned behind a desk, losing the will to live? He’ll never know of course. That life isn’t an option for him anymore. Never was really. Being born a Lightwood sealed his fate for him.

A glance in the rearview mirror tells him the silver SUV is still following him. He takes another left. There are less obvious ways to suss out if you’re being followed but he’s decided he wants them to know he’s spotted them. It’s hard to have the element of surprise in a situation like this, so instead he wants to make sure they know that their efforts have been wasted. They might think they’re good at this, but Alec Lightwood is better. He has to be. This is what he’s trained for.

Another left brings him back onto his original route. They obviously can’t move towards the safehouse yet. He needs to lose the tail before they can do that. Or eliminate them. Preferably the former. 

He weighs up his options, picturing the street layout ahead. He’s done his research. He knows the road layouts and general neighbourhoods within a 3 mile radius of all The Institute’s safehouses. There’s a business district not far from here. While it won’t be entirely deserted, it will be quieter. And there will be opportunity to lose their tail in some of the side streets potentially.

He doesn’t take the straightforward route there however. He zig zags through the blocks, taking turns at random and without indicating. At one point he loses the SUV for long enough that he thinks he’s in the clear. He’s about to head back towards the safehouse when the car appears once more in his rearview mirror. Whoever this is, they’re persistent. He all but gives up on the hopes of losing the tail and resigns himself to the messier option - elimination. He only hopes this is cleaner than the incident in the carpark.

Up ahead, the lights of an intersection change to red - finally something today is working in his favour. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out his gun, he lowers the passenger side window. The cool night breeze drops the temperature in the car a few degrees causing Magnus to stir. Alec presses his hand back against Magnus’ chest, silently willing him to be still and hoping he won’t panic when he spots the pistol Alec is gripping.

“We picked up a tail,” Alec explains quietly, drawing the car to a stop at the intersection. Watching in the mirror, as predicted the car following moves smoothly into the left hand lane, moving alongside their vehicle.

Alec flicks the safety off and takes aim. Drawing in a deep breath he waits with a steady hand for the car to pull to a stop at the red light. His finger hovers over the trigger in preparation. He’ll need to fire two shots. One to break the glass of the other car window and a second to take out the driver. He can worry about any passengers later.

The SUV pulls up next to them. It takes a fraction of a second for him to squeeze the trigger but that’s enough for him to freeze up in recognition. The driver of the car turns to face him with a wide-eyed stare. She also has a gun in hand aimed directly at Alec’s forehead.

“Shoot her,” Magnus implores, looking between the driver of the other car and Alec. His eyebrows knit together in confusion as he takes in Alec’s posture and the way his arm has relaxed once more. Alec is aware he’s probably sporting a dopey smile right now, but he’s never been more glad to see his sister.

“She’s one of ours,” he explains. He flicks the safety back on his pistol before pocketing it again. He has no idea what Izzy’s doing here, but she’s here and right now that’s a good thing. Or at least, it’s better than the alternatives. Of course, this could mean no end of trouble for the current mission - it’s been a few hours since he last had contact with Maia. In this line of work, a few hours can change absolutely everything.

The lights change to green and he pulls away from the intersection. Izzy pulls her vehicle in line behind him and they continue on towards the safehouse. He has no way of contacting Izzy but he assumes she would have given some indication at the traffic lights if there was any significant change of plan. So he continues onwards. He’s still focussed. Still on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary, any slight sign of trouble. But now at least checking his rearview mirror gives him an overwhelming feeling of warmth. It diffuses through his body, centering from his chest and pushing away the residual oozing sense of foreboding he’d previously faced.

Shuffling from the backseat reminds him of Raj’s presence. He glances over his shoulder to see his colleague still laying where Alec had unceremoniously shoved him earlier but some life has returned to him at least. There’s a slight tension to his features that hadn’t been there previously. They’ll definitely need to get him medical assistance. Whatever Magnus had done to him, being unconscious for this long wasn’t healthy. Even for Raj who had a nasty habit of napping on the job.

“What happened? Is Bane safe?” Raj’s voice is groggy, his words slightly slurred.

“You let your guard down, that’s what happened,” Alec replies shortly. He glares at his inept colleague in the rearview mirror. “You had one job Raj. One job. Bane is safe - but it’s no thanks to you.”

Wisely, Raj chooses not to respond. It’s not often Alec loses his cool so outwardly but Raj has screwed up one too many times now. Alec used to partner with Jace on every mission and while most of the time they worked like a well-oiled machine, their differing views on the best approach led to some tense moments. After one too many glaring matches at HQ they’d been split up. The official line was ‘ _it makes no sense to pair our best two agents together. Your strengths are better utilised to balance newer agents.’_ While that in part was true, he has no doubt there was also a fear that at some point the damage would become irreparable. And so, Alec is stuck with Raj.

It’s not long until they’re pulling up outside the safehouse. Before he’s even had a chance to close the car door fully, Izzy is upon him. Her stilettos clicking across the tarmac at an unfathomable pace considering their towering height. She throws her arms around him, squeezing tight enough that he emits a soft ‘ _ooft’_ at the pressure on his bruised body.

At the noise, her grip softens slightly and she steps back, palms smoothing over his shoulders as she looks him up and down. Her wide brown eyes are deep with concern as she takes in his appearance.

“You look like shit,” she summises.

“Thanks, Iz. Good to see you too,” he laughs fondly. He’s glad for the blunt delivery though, it means she’s not overly concerned for his well-being. Which in turn means he probably doesn’t look _quite_ as broken as he feels. That bodes well at least.

“How about you three go inside? You all look like you could use some coffee and a shower,” she suggests.

Coffee does sound great, Alec muses to himself. Sadly, there are more important things to do right now. Like cover their tracks. Before he can open his mouth though, Izzy cuts him off.

“I’ll deal with getting rid of this thing,” she pats the hood of the car.

He considers protesting. It’s his job after all, his little sister shouldn’t be the one picking up the pieces after him. But she fixes him with such a firm look, one his mother could only dream of emulating, and he gives up all thoughts of arguing.

“Alright, give me a call if you need a lift back though?” he offers.

“Oh, will you actually answer this one?” she asks. Her arms are folded across her chest and her hip cocked against the vehicle. Alec resists the temptation to visibly gulp. He’s definitely not afraid of her. Not at all. He’s just… Not looking forward to the lecture he’s apparently going to be getting later.

He leans forward and gives her a quick kiss to the forehead. A gesture in which he tries to roll up a hello, an apology and an I love you all at once. Izzy’s features soften just enough to make him feel like he’s achieved some of that before she’s elbowing him out the way to climb into the stolen SUV.

“I’ll be back in an hour. Get yourself cleaned up, mom will want a debrief when I’m back.”

Scrubbing his hand down his face, ignoring the heated ache from his scuffed cheek, he sighs. “Stay safe,” he implores through the open car window before patting the roof of the car and stepping clear of the road.

Once on the pavement, he turns towards the safehouse. It looks the same as every house in the street. The doors and windows are framed in neat black painted sills that contrast to the sandy coloured brick work. The railings on either side of the concrete steps leading up to the door are painted to match. In the front window blinds are pulled low but an ornamental wrought iron candelabra rests on the windowsill, visible to the street outside. The upper floor windows each have a window box outside filled with bright coloured flowers giving the overall appearance of a well-looked after home. It’s an effective facade though he can’t help but wonder if the neighbours notice that the occupants of this particular property are not the typical married with children family that would normally occupy a property like this?

He trudges up the steps. His feet are heavy now, every movement feels like an additional effort. The thought of having to explain the last several hours has taken the wind out of his sails.

The front door of the safehouse is set back in a recessed alcove of ornately carved sandstone. To the casual observer, this is just part of the architecture of the whole block but it also helps obscure the key safe hidden in the shadowy crevices between two bricks. Alec presses his thumb to the biometric scanner which gives a quiet beep of recognition before clicking open and allowing him to access the door key. He ushers Magnus and Raj inside ahead of him, flicking on the hall light. Alec can’t blame Magnus for his surprised expression as he takes in his surroundings. The hallway is painted a warm yellow colour. A coat rack sits just inside the door hung with a variety of warm winter coats and lighter summer jackets. A canvas of the New York skyline hangs on the wall. The first impression is one of a homely and warm environment - not what most people expect from a safe house. But that’s the whole point, to blend in.

Alec leads them both into the living area. The walls in here are a pale blue which compliments the comfy looking, navy sofas that are arranged around the coffee table. Another canvas, this of a jetty over a lake, sits above the dark wooden fireplace. Decorative vases bookend the mantel.

“Make yourself at home,” Alec gestures to the sofa pulling open the double doors that lead through to the kitchen.

The kitchen is where the homely illusion falls down. Situated at the back of the house, there’s no need for airs and graces. The surfaces are all bare and the glass fronted cabinets contain a few mismatched items of glassware and crockery. Alec flicks the switch on the coffee machine resting on the countertop and adds coffee into the filter. The machine rumbles into life with the promise of warm relief in the very near future.

He rifles through the medical kit he finds under the sink, fills a glass with water and returns to the living room.

“Here,” he chucks a bottle of aspirin at Raj and offers him the glass of water. “You’ll probably need this more than me.”

Magnus makes a choked noise from the sofa which Alec chooses to ignore. Raj meanwhile mutters his thanks, refusing to meet Alec’s eyes.

Alec drinks his coffee leaning against the doorframe. The only noise in the room is the soft scrape of Magnus’ rings as he twists them round his fingers at a dizzying pace. Definitely a nervous tic then. He’s sat on the very edge of the sofa, hunched in on himself and eyes occasionally darting around the room as if expecting another fight. Alec resists the urge to join him and offer him some comfort. Some soft words and a hand on the shoulder maybe. ‘ _Emotions cloud judgement’_ he chides himself, shaking his head. There’s nothing different about this mission compared to any he’s worked in the past, so why now is he going soft?

Draining the last of his coffee, Alec focuses his attention back on task. He always operates better with something to focus on and right now, he needs to get cleaned up. The damage to his body helps ground him, the pain reminding him that only physical feelings matter, everything else belongs in it’s own box. To be inspected at a later date. Or preferably, never.

Abandoning his empty coffee cup on the kitchen side and grabbing the medical kit, he heads down the hallway to the small bathroom. He catches sight of himself in the mirror hanging over the sink and his nose wrinkles instinctively. Izzy wasn’t lying when she’d said he looked like shit.

There is a cut over one eyebrow and grazes criss-crossing the opposite cheek. Where the skin hasn’t been rubbed red-raw against the concrete, bruises are already beginning to flower beneath the surface. His lip is swollen and his ear an angry red. Tilting his head back, he looks through his lower eyelashes at the angry purple and black mottling his neck.

Grimacing, he pulls his shirt over his head. His torso has fared slightly better, the skin protected somewhat by his clothing but angry bruising is beginning to form from his armpit to his stomach. Taking a deep breath to steel his nerves, he presses his fingers along his rib cage, feeling each individual bone through the muscle and sinew. While everything hurts, he is thankful to realise his earlier fears are unfounded and his ribs don’t seem to be broken.

He begins the process of patching himself up, cleaning the wounds carefully with a damp washcloth. He’s in the process of applying Neosporin to the cuts on his face when a shadowy figure behind him catches his eye in the mirror. He turns and leaning back against the sink edge, attempts to offer Magnus a reassuring smile. It doesn’t matter if he’s successful though, Magnus’ gaze is fixed firmly on Alec’s bare chest.

“Everything OK?” he asks.

Magnus blinks a few times before looking up and meeting his eyes sheepishly.

“What? Oh, yes. I just… Wanted to see if you needed a hand getting cleaned up?” Magnus offers, eyes flicking back down once more.

“Thanks for the offer but I think I’ve got this,” Alec turns back to the mirror, tilting his head once more for a better angle to view his injuries.

“Oh. Well, do you mind if I stay here anyway? I, uh, get the sense that Raj isn’t my biggest fan right now,” Magnus shuffles slightly on the spot.

“Ha,” Alec’s laugh is brief but genuine. “Yeah, I guess. Make yourself at home.” He gestures pointlessly into the small space and continues treating his injuries.

He feels a warm brush against his back as Magnus maneuvers his way around him and closes the toilet lid to take a seat. Suddenly self-conscious, Alec grabs his shirt from where he’s abandoned it on the floor and pulls it back on. The cotton clings to the skin across his shoulders which are still damp from his quick wash.

He watches Magnus in the mirror. He’s sat with his legs crossed, one ankle perched casually on the opposite knee. He’s removed his jacket at some point and has unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt. He looks the picture of calm, relaxed elegance. Except… Except, his fingers, fidgeting once more. The dark black nail polish glinting under the fluorescent light of the bathroom as he toys with his rings again.

“Are you always this restless?” He peels back the edges of a Steri-Strip, leaning in close to the mirror to apply it to the cut over his eye. Squinting as he pinches the edges of the wound together, he watches Magnus still out the corner of his eye but he gets no response. They lapse into an awkward silence. Alec can tell by the way Magnus holds himself that he’s fighting to resist the urge to play with his jewelry.

Sighing, he stops what he’s doing and grips the edge of the sink. He bows his head and inhales deeply, rushing out an apology, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I was asking more to check if you were ok, but obviously I wasn’t clear.”

Magnus doesn’t respond immediately and so Alec goes back to carefully closing his wounds. He’s said all he needs to say. More than he needed to say in fact. ‘ _This is a complex mission, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. It’s important to retain trust,’_ he rationalises to himself. And that’s all it is really, the building and maintaining of trust. It’s not Alec going soft. Definitely not. Building trust is imperative to this mission being successful. Magnus hasn’t been given much choice in entrusting his life to Alec and The Institute but he still isn’t fully aware of the precarious situation he’s in. He could easily pin it all on Alec, rather than his own father, and end up bolting. 

“I think I’m ok,” Magnus says eventually. By this point Alec is washing his hands carefully, taking care with his inflamed, grazed knuckles. He pauses in his actions, shutting off the faucet but keeping his back to Magnus, who continues, “I don’t know. I feel like I should be more bothered by all of this? But really, it’s just an adrenaline comedown I think? You’d be surprised to hear that being a jeweler doesn’t normally include this kind of excitement. I’m not really sure how to process it all?”

Alec looks into the mirror, catching Magnus’ wry smile. He returns it with a small quirk of his own lips that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“We all have different ways of coping. I have a ‘ _worryingly high_ _caffeine dependency.’_ ” At Magnus’ questioning look he adds, “My mother’s words. Not mine. Jace on the other hand, relies on sex.” He grimaces at the thought before continuing, “Meanwhile, my sister prefers to quash it with alcohol.”

“Your sister - the one who was following us?” Magnus questions.

“Izzy, yes.” Alec’s smile feels more genuine this time.

“I can see the family resemblance.” 

There’s a teasing edge to Magnus’ tone that Alec can’t quite place but he doesn’t question it. Instead, he grabs his towel and carefully pats dry his hands. Sweeping everything back into the medical kit, he opens the door wide and steps back to allow Magnus out.

“You guys having a party in there?” Izzy’s lyrical laugh fills the corridor.

Alec freezes in the doorway, he can feel his cheeks heating at the implication.

“Raj was making Magnus uncomfortable,” he says as if that somehow explains their appearance from the tiny bathroom.

Izzy just smirks at him, shrugging off her leather jacket and hanging it on the coat stand. She strides past him and heads for the living room, leaving Alec and Magnus to trail after her.

“Everything go ok with the drop off?” Alec asks once they’re all sat down. Izzy has taken one for the team and sat down next to Raj, who still doesn’t seem fully with it. It leaves Alec sharing the smaller sofa with Magnus. As much as the proximity is making him nervous, he’s strangely thankful to not have direct sight of Magnus’ face. He’s spent enough time studying that already despite how little time they’ve spent together.

“Absolutely fine. And no, before you ask, I wasn’t followed.” Izzy preempts his question. He opens his mouth to follow up but she cuts him off, “And yes, I am sure.”

Alec doesn’t need to be able to see Magnus’ face to know he’s smirking beside him. It’s not that he doesn’t trust his sister, quite the opposite in fact, she’s a fantastic Agent. It’s just that he’s a complete control freak. If he doesn’t do something himself, he at least needs to know it’s been done properly. He’s regularly told that he’s got a stick up his ass. He’d like to pretend it’s a response conditioned by too many years partnered with Jace. A reflex bought on by Jace’s cavalier attitude and tendency to entirely throw the rulebook out in most situations. The reality is, he’s probably been this way since birth.

“So, not to be rude Iz but what are you doing here? I thought you were on a stakeout in downtown DC.” He realises as soon as he’s said it that it probably is rude. He can’t help it though. It’s not that he doesn’t love his little sister, he’s immensely glad Izzy is here. But it also stings a little bit that his mom thought he couldn’t handle a simple security detail on his own. Even if things had got a little out of hand, he had managed just fine up to now.

“Well I was, but that stakeout was deemed less important than the fact that we thought we’d lost you. Mom of course was up in arms about us potentially ‘ _losing the asset_ ’. Hi by the way,” she turns to Magnus, hand outstretched. “You must be Magnus - I’m Izzy. I love your boots, Alexander McQueen, right?”

Magnus reaches forward and shakes her hand. “You have a good eye. I love your outfit by the way.”

“Thanks,” Izzy smoothes out her already perfect hair, preening under the attention. Her outfit is designed to catch the eye. She relies on any adversaries taking one look at the thigh high stilettos and tight clothing and assuming she’s an easy target. She is anything but. Alec has trained with her enough times to know that. While he would like to argue he comes out on top in the majority of their practice bouts, it’s a little closer than he’d care to admit most of the time. And his win ratio is not as strong as it could be. The good thing about that is he knows that he never has to worry about his little sister. She can definitely take care of herself.

“Anyway, after Maia lost contact with you she told Raj to get out of there and get Magnus to safety. Then she lost contact with Raj too. She had backup waiting nearby so she sent the team in, only when they got there all they found was the carnage you left behind. Nice job by the way, three against one in close quarters must have been a tough fight. No wonder you look like that.” She winks at him. 

“I had help,” Alec admits. As much as he’d like to claim sole responsibility for taking down the thugs from The Circle, he would have fared far worse had Magnus not intervened. It seems only fair to share the credit.

“So, anyway... Maia’s team finds the carnage and your tracking chip is reading as still being in the parking garage. But Raj’s chip is on the move and the vehicle Maia had sourced for you is gone. Once Maia realised the GPS was showing Raj heading in this direction, she called me in to check it out. It seemed entirely too coincidental that The Circle would kidnap Raj and Magnus and bring them this close to where we planned to bring them, but we needed to be sure.”

“So that’s how you kept finding me everytime I thought I’d given you the slip?” Alec leans against the back of the sofa, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He suddenly feels a bit better about the evening’s proceedings knowing that Izzy had had to cheat to keep up with him.

“Yep,” she replies smugly. “Next time you want to do a runner with an unconscious Raj and no way of contacting Maia, maybe steal his intercom?”

“I, uh, didn’t think of that,” Alec admits, running a hand over the nape of his neck and avoiding making eye contact with her.

“No shit,” Izzy teases. She turns on Raj, “What the hell happened to you anyway?”

“Magnus happened,” Alec answers for him. He feels a small burst of pride that he can’t fully explain. Another feeling that he doesn’t want to look too closely at. He boxes it up with the rest of them. “So I guess we better check in with HQ then?”

Izzy is already pulling a sturdy laptop from her bag. She sinks down onto the rug, resting the laptop on the coffee table. Her long red fingernails tap over the keys at speed as she types in her password and opens up the encrypted communications app. A sense of foreboding washes over Alec as he moves himself from the couch, kneeling next to Izzy in front of the laptop.

With a beep, the stern face of Maryse Lightwood appears on the screen. She’s not looking up at the camera, she’s too concerned with whatever paperwork has landed on her desk today. Alec clears his throat and she finally looks up at her children.

“Agents,” she addresses them formally. Her mouth is set in a thin line, her pinstriped suit jacket is perfectly tailored and her hair is pulled back in a severe looking bun. “I trust the extraction was successful?”

Alec doesn’t answer, instead he pushes the corner of the laptop with one finger, angling the camera to bring Magnus into shot.

“Good.” Maryse’s tone is abrupt and to the point, no different to normal then. “I hear there was a minor altercation with Circle operatives?”

Izzy chokes back a noise of outrage, her eyes wide as she looks at Alec. Of course their mother wouldn’t pay any heed to the obvious injuries he is sporting. He’s still able to sit upright and he’s still able to string a sentence together so why would she care otherwise? He digs his nails into his palms where his hands are clasped together at the small of his back and schools his expression into one of detached calm.

“Yes, seven in total. We dealt with three of them in the alleyway north of the shop, one was dropped in the streets in Brooklyn to the east by the pickup location. Three more in the car park. Maia’s crew should already be dealing with the cleanup.”

Maryse shuffles some papers just off camera, glancing down at them briefly.

“Yes, this seems to match the report Agent Roberts filed. Is there anything else I need to know?”

Alec glances over at Raj before making the executive call that his mother doesn’t need to know about _that_ for now.

“No, we have it all under control.”

“Glad to hear it. I’ll be in touch when we have more details.”

“Bye Mom,” Izzy says. Alec doesn’t bother at all. The screen goes blank once more as Maryse hangs up the call and Alec feels his shoulders relax. He sits back on his heels and scrubs at his face with one hand.

“That went better than I thought it would,” Izzy says, stretching her arms high over her head.

“Hmmm,” Alec doesn’t have much to say to that. He went into the debrief with low expectations and they were met. For as long as he can remember, his mom has been the same. She’s always looked the same and always acted the same. She has laser precision and is always task focussed. It’s a trait she instilled in Alec from an early age though he’s developed slightly more empathy at least. He didn’t expect her to inquire after his wellbeing but there’s still a tiny sting, deep down inside, that she hadn’t seen his face and suddenly developed a maternal streak.

“So what now?” Magnus asks from behind him.

“Now we wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Latin Alec uses in the carpark scene (Pulvis et umbra sumus) is taken from the wiki and is used at Shadowhunter funerals. It translates to "We are dust & shadows"
> 
> There will be 3 further chapters to this fic - each of them another bingo fill - so if you've enjoyed it so far, then please subscribe!
> 
> I'd love to hear what you think so far!

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me on [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/notquiteascrazy) & also [Tumblr](http://notquiteascrazy.tumblr.com/) where I'll probably ramble about this occasionally and post when there's updates!
> 
> Want to hang out with a bunch of other Shadowhunters fans? Join us in the [Malec Discord Server](https://discord.gg/5nBgEp8)  
> Can promise endless showerings of encouragement when your 3k bingo fill grows to a 40k multichapter adventure! They're all wonderful menaces!
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> Lex 💛💛💛

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Incentive](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29782434) by [thatnerdemryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/pseuds/thatnerdemryn)




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